Collaboration between an occupational therapist and a lighting designer will result in exterior lighting that’s a good fit for everyone.
Kati, an occupational therapy student, shares a story about how her client was able to look and feel her best for a special event because her bathroom was universally designed.
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Smart Home Technology
There are several “smart” devices that improve the functionality and safety of a home. They’re great options for universal design.
Our thoughts: Social distancing is now mandatory in the US due to COVID-19, but some people with disabilities experience social isolation every day.
We discuss how the internet isn’t always accurate in the description of universal design, and what our Design Advisors thought of this ramp/stair design.
A backyard party at someone’s home turns from excitement to heartbreak when you have to question if you can attend the due to inaccessibility.
Sarah discusses how her friend increased the functionality of her garden by using raised garden beds and how an outdoor space improves mental health.
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Renovations are costly…
Implementing accessibility at the start of a new design project will save you time and money.
We discuss 3 themes from a peer-reviewed article: form versus function, the earlier the better, and universal design as a specialist area.
Of course they do. We’re talking about universal design! Listen to Julie & Jackson’s story. You’ll learn about what they have to do just to visit family or friends.
This article unpacks three practice settings in which an an occupational therapist could collaborate with professionals in the home building industry.
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The Blueprints of My Doctoral Project
Kati briefly explains the OT profession and introduces her doctoral capstone project.
Kati recounts a story about a patient who broke a hip and had struggles with a common yet meaningful task.
Sarah shares a story & some thoughts about the functionality of parking areas. It’s the little things that make a big difference for universal design!
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Different has to be experienced.
We run The Universal Design Project on software called Basecamp. The company that created Basecamp is on the verge of releasing a new email system called Hey. What’s interesting about this is that they’re declaring email “broken” and are more or less redesigning the way people interact with email. Here’s a recent tweet from their […]
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There’s a 60% Probability…
“In the United States of America, it has been estimated that there is a 60% probability that any new house will be occupied by a person with a functional impairment over its life span.” Smith SK, Rayer S, Smith EA. Aging and disability: implications for the housing industry and housing policy in the United States. […]
The United States has an accessible housing problem: there aren’t enough available options.
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Designing a “Good Fit” For All People
Universal design must enable people to be independent in daily tasks when human impairments are present.
Sarah and Kati talk about various universal design features to increase function for those living with invisible disabilities.
Check out some drawings, 3D renders, and a floor plan of a universally designed home.
The process of universal design needs to be collaborative, but collaboration is challenging.
Sarah talks with Kati about discharge scenarios and what home modifications looked like for their patients.
Design can create a “good fit,” or a “poor fit.” One of the models we use is the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model of Occupational Performance.
Welcome to the first episode of the Good Fit Poor Fit podcast! Learn more about The Universal Design Project and what got us to where we are today.
Kati discusses how a universally designed home would have improved her family’s function after multiple health events.
There are many areas of practice in OT. Here’s my story.
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Bias is an enemy.
The first phrase of the definition of universal design is “design that’s usable by all people.” It’s easy to think, “cool, that just means everyone,” which is true, but that’s also a really complex idea. Ensuring usability across the entire spectrum of people in our society is no simple task. Here at The Universal Design Project, we focus on people […]
The Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model of Occupational Performance comes from the field of occupational therapy and helps identify the relationships between a person, an environment, and occupations (activities). These relationships support and enhance a person’s ability (Law et al, 1996); interestingly, that’s what universal design is all about. The relationship between each helps us understand the quality of occupational performance (i.e., function) that […]
Despite universal design being a “thing” since the 1980s, there is still widespread confusion about it today, which we believe is largely due to people not fully understanding the depth of what it means.
Universal design is often described as “design for all ages and abilities,” but what does that really mean? It’s gaining popularity every day, partially because of the size of the baby boomer generation, and partially because of society’s increasing interest in being inclusive to people with disabilities. What is universal design? Design that’s usable by […]